The Engineers' Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 www.alls.aiac.org.au

The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers

Abdul Wadood Khan* Department of English Language and Translation , College of Languages and Translation, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Corresponding Author: Abdul Wadood Khan, E-mail: [email protected]

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article history Engineers, being hands-on experts, need to produce technical documents that are convincing to Received: March 12, 2019 colleagues, executives, and clients. This study analyzes different technical documents written by Accepted: June 18, 2019 engineers and offers instruction on how to approach the task of technical writing. The quantitative Published: August 31, 2019 part of the study involved gathering statistics on the types of documents most frequently written Volume: 10 Issue: 4 by engineers and the importance engineers assign to technical writing in their career. The study Advance access: July 2019 participants consisted of 60 engineers selected through a snowball sampling method. Data was collected through the use of a questionnaire. The results of the data are presented in frequencies and percentages. An analysis of the data reveals that engineers currently practicing in Saudi Conflicts of interest: None Arabia believe writing to be important in their field. In total, 66.7% believe writing to be “very Funding: None important,” whereas the remaining 33.3% believe it to be “important”; none of the respondents believe writing to be only “slightly important” or “not important.” When asked whether their background education in the engineering field adequately prepared them for writing on the job, Key words: only 30 (50%) were confident of their writing abilities following their engineering degrees. The Engineering Students, other 30 (50%), although they found their skills in technical writing to be useful, were not confident ESP, of its adequacy in the workplace. Given the option of selecting more than one answer, respondents Practicing Engineers, recorded the following frequencies for the type of writing they usually do at work: 40 out of 60 Report-writing, respondents (6.7%) stated that they frequently write interim or progress reports; 30 (50%) stated Technical Writing for Engineers that they write final or recommendation reports. However, only 10 (16.7%) of the respondents revealed that they often write more focused reports, such laboratory reports. Engineers also write a fair number of non-report documents, including memos, emails, and logbook entries.

INTRODUCTION their main subjects, which are technical in nature, they fail Globalization has introduced the imperative of adopting a to give much time to language studies because they deem common tool of effective communication that can be used it less important. Hence, they fail to improve their writing. across the world without any ambiguity or misperception. In Admittedly, writing can be difficult for engineering students, response to this need, numerous countries, including Saudi and the strict nature of technical writing makes it a daunting Arabia, have adopted English as a foreign language (EFL) for task. However, the ability to communicate ideas effectively the purpose of operational interaction. Practicing engineers in a document is not just an added advantage but a necessity. are very clear about the importance to their productiveness In addition to studying English, it is imperative that engi- in the engineering industry of developing a comprehensive neers study the essential structure of technical documents if understanding of the English language. Every profession has they are to succeed in technical writing. Practicing engineers its own form of specialized writing. Inasmuch as they are have revealed how important the knowledge of technical hands-on experts, engineers need to develop documents that writing is to their careers (Abed and Ibrahim, 2017). are clear and convincing not only to their colleagues, but to clients as well. Technical documents written by engineers Purpose of the Study need to communicate with their audiences. As a result, it is important to consider the audience when planning, writing, A large number of studies exist on teaching technical writ- and reviewing a technical document. ing to engineering students. This study takes a theoretical It is important to keep in mind that a technical document approach, in that it analyzes the different kinds of techni- is different from a general document, especially as regards cal document used in the engineering field as a preparation its objectives and its audience. Many engineering students for interpreting the responses of practicing engineers to a are not interested in taking courses in academic or tech- questionnaire about technical writing in the workplace. The nical writing; they find the task too cumbersome and too theoretical framework of the study presents useful insights detail-specific. While many engineering students focus on on how to tackle the task of technical writing and provides

Published by Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. Copyright (c) the author(s). This is an open access article under CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.10n.4p.80 The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers 81 tips for budding engineers as well as teachers. Further, the Colleagues: A solution or technical intervention is study collates the opinion of engineers practicing in Saudi generally designed in collaboration with a colleague or a Arabia concerning writing in the engineering field. Overall, team of colleagues. Engineers have a great deal of technical the study seeks to answer the following research questions: knowledge about the topic under discussion (for example, a 1. How important is technical writing in the field of engi- solution that has been devised), and they are familiar with neering? industry terminology. Still, a well-organized document goes 2. What kinds of technical documents do engineers write a long way in lending clarity to the topic being discussed. at work? When reading a technical document, the reader wants 3. Does an engineering degree adequately prepare engi- absolute certainty that the writer has knowledge of the top- neers for writing in their career? ic under consideration. A technical document should aim to 4. What advice can practicing engineers give to budding achieve the following goals: engineers on writing in the engineering field? • Demonstrate familiarity with the problem: To create credibility, the document needs to present a clear view of the problem in question form. This will help convince THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK readers that the engineer-author understands the prob- The Audience for Technical Engineering Documents lem and will help them gain a better understanding of the problem themselves. Only when the problem is un- Ignoring the audience could well be the biggest communi- derstood can a solution be proposed. A project’s preex- cation mistake an engineer can make, as different types of isting conditions should be discussed from all relevant documents are intended for different readers. To communi- viewpoints. Here is an instance of a problem descrip- cate effectively, an engineer must know the audience well tion, offered by the researcher: in terms of their knowledge of the field and relationship to The houses in Laban Valley have existed for more the business concern as well as their purpose in reading the than two centuries. However, the rate of collapse content. of houses in that region in recent times has been a Clients: When writing for clients, engineers are essen- cause of worry: four houses collapsed due to heavy tially writing as engineering consultants. Documents writ- downpour and flash floods in 2017; a further ten ten for clients need to exhibit perfect clarity, as they usually houses caught fire on the afternoon of 4 September present a solution to a particular problem. As a result, phras- 2018 because of being close together. Houses built es such as “maybe this can help” and “this sounds like a in that era tend to be close by … great idea” should be avoided. Clients look for statements As demonstrated in this example, the document should that convey certainty, with some level of guarantee. It is in first discuss and analyze the problem; only then can the read- order to achieve such certainty that they seek out an engi- er perceive a solution. The discussion of the problem estab- neering consultant in the first place. Clients hire engineer- lishes the expertise and competence of the engineer. ing consultants to analyze situations and present solutions • Solution: The engineering field is steeped in mathe- to specific problems; they expect to be able to make deci- matics. It is important to display results alongside sta- sions based on the engineer’s recommendations (Carlowicz, tistics and simple mathematical expressions, adjusting 2005). Engineers can improve their writing greatly by keep- the level of complexity to the audience of the document ing the level of the audience in mind and making sure that (Caponi et al., 2018). Solutions should not be merely they understand the text well. explained. Without statistics and data to fall back on, Executive or Government Officials: When writing a reader (e.g. an executive or official) is less likely to technical documents for submission to government officials adopt the solution proposed or formulate executive pol- or other executives, engineers need to present solid evidence icies based on it. Moreover, colleagues will not trust an that the team has investigated the problem in question (Bu- engineering intervention with no mathematical support. dinski, 2001). It is important that the document presents a recommendation in a clear format. Executives make business, economic, administrative, legal, governmental, and Organizing a Technical Document political decisions based on the technical write-up present- Organization is crucial when writing a technical document ed (Budinski, 2001); executive policies may be made based (Bush & Campbell, 1995; Tănase, 2017), and a table of con- on these recommendations. The document must reflect the tents is key to organizing the information. It is unlikely that team’s ability to achieve the stated objectives. Should it re- a technical report will be read from cover to cover in a lin- late to a new product or scheme, the audience (executives) ear manner; the majority of readers need to get to the point will decide whether or not to approve it. Many engineering quickly. A table of contents directs them to the exact pages students hold the misconception that a complex and scholar- they want to read. ly text is a good example of technical writing when, in fact, It is important to understand who the audience is and to the opposite is true. A technical document has to take this structure the document accordingly. Determining in advance fact into consideration. An executive may have little or no how much knowledge or expertise the readers are likely to technical knowledge. Therefore, attempts should be made to have is an important step in writing a targeted document. avoid engineering buzzwords, and technical terms should be If certain categories of readers do not have background translated into the simplest possible language. knowledge in the engineer-author’s field, it is the duty of the 82 ALLS 10(4):80-87 technical report to explain that background clearly to make Format the content comprehensible. Engineers should realize that a • Summary: The summary gives a description of what is universal template created for technical documents may not expected in the document. It outlines the problem and be appropriate for all categories of audiences. In this case, how the team of engineers expects to solve it. different sections can be dedicated to different types of audi- • Development of the Model: Development of the mod- ences, depending on the level of technicality. If, however, a el presents the constraints encountered during the de- particular category of audience is the most important read- velopment of a solution for a project. It gives insights er, the engineer is expected to write for that audience. For into the solutions that were considered and why; it also example, a technical document written mostly for executive briefly discusses those that were rejected. For a design purposes should consider executives to be its audience. that is routine, the development of the model is straight- Finally, the unnecessary repetition of facts should be forward, and few details are required—in other words, a avoided. Superfluous information that adds no real value short design model documentation is appropriate. should be deleted. A precise and accurate document is better • Design Calculation: Design calculations give review- than a bulky document with little real information. ers a chance to refer to drawings and mathematical equations mentioned in the section on the development of the model. A design calculation is incorporated into Reports the body of a design report. Reports constitute the most important type of documents written by engineers (Lutz & Hering, 2010), and they are Interim report written more frequently than any other type of document. The following sub-sections present some of the types of re- Progress or interim reports are an essential part of the engi- ports written by engineers as well as their requirements. neering intervention. An interim progress report documents Depending on the purpose and the target audience, a re- the schedule and success of an ongoing project. The goal port can be is to present the progress made on a project to managers, • very formal (like a report on a board meeting), clients, executives, and/or colleagues and assess what still • semi-formal (like reports relating to routine activities), remains to be done (Vesilind, 2007). Engineers must bear in or mind that clients sometimes projects that fall behind sched- • less formal (like reports to the existing clients). ule. Yet it is also important to acknowledge that any project of significant size might encounter unexpected obstacles resulting from additional requirements, miscommunication, Initial report unanticipated delays, and so on. A progress report must ac- An initial report gives a description of how a project will be count for all of these factors. Interim reports are written pe- approached. As with any plan, it involves a dose of intelli- riodically, so more than one progress report will be written gent and informed guesswork. It is written before a project is for a given project. commenced and includes a clear statement on how it will be A simple structure for a progress report is as follows carried out. It is written for the purposes of the engineering (Beer & McMurrey, 2013): firm itself and is the result of collaboration among the vari- Introduction ous units expected to work on the project (Laplante, 2013). Work Completed An initial report also takes into account the preliminary dis- Work Scheduled cussion with the client. Problems The basic format for an initial report is as follows: A detailed interim report could include the following Executive Summary headings: Objectives • Introduction Initial Analysis of the Problem • Project Description Preliminary Literature • Project Summary Scope of Work • Work Completed Schedule of Tasks • Work Scheduled Allocation of Responsibilities • Problems • Problems Encountered • Changes in Requirements Design report • Overall Assessment of the Project A design report, being an internal report, is read by fellow engineers, technicians, and experts working on a project. An engineering solution cannot be communicated by graphics Recommendation report alone; it needs to be accompanied by comprehensive doc- A recommendation report gives a detailed description umentation. A detailed analysis is required, using specific of the project to be carried out, detailing the tasks that terms related to the particular field of engineering that the various teams will undertake. The culmination of long report covers. The problem-solving design is fully explained hours of study and professional effort, this type of report in the following format (Silyn-Roberts, 2013). focuses on the recommendations for a proposed project. The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers 83

A recommendation report is most likely to be read by se- Analysis nior executives in an organization. It should start with a Conclusion general overview before going into the details of the op- eration to be carried out, and it should be written in such Numbers, figures, tables, equations, and graphical a way that executives with no technical knowledge can illustrations understand the executive summary and identify the basic content quickly and accurately. The executive summary A technical engineering document is centered on data (Si- also offers readers a concise outline of all crucially import- lyn-Roberts, 2012). Every engineering report must have an ant information, helping them evaluate the information appendix section, which contains a list of equations, tables, in the remainder of the document (Silyn-Roberts, 2012). figures, and graphical illustrations referred to in the main Quantitative data that are of note should have a different document. All of these must be referenced appropriately heading for reference purposes. (Silyn-Roberts, 2012). It is necessary to define all math- A typical recommendation report includes the following ematical symbols except those that are in general usage sections: and easily recognizable by laypersons. The derivation of Executive Summary equations, numerical methods, and error analysis should Introduction be included. Computer programs used should also be ref- Discussion erenced in the document. It is prudent to ensure that all Conclusion technical, scientific, and mathematical measurements are Project Deliverables accurate. The units of measurement should always be in- Recommendations cluded. When introducing drawings or graphical represen- tations, it is best to ensure that they are clear and relevant. It is also important to include captions that clearly describe Forensic engineering report what each drawing, image, or graphic represents. Graphical A forensic report is not a routine engineering report. Rath- illustrations may include line drawings of process schemat- er, it is a technical document that bridges engineering and ics, flow diagrams, and organizational charts. It is import- law (Lewis, 2003). As Lewis (2003) recommends, care must ant to include supplemental details, such as a directional be taken in writing forensic reports as legal decisions may compass, scale information, or related notes, as required. be based on them. The aim of a forensic report, which is The software currently preferred in the industry for the most likely to be used in litigation, is to put forth a defense preparation of high-quality technical information is Adobe concerning a technical failure. The audience (e.g., judges, Illustrator; AutoCAD is useful for drawings that must be jury members, arbitrators) is not expected to have technical precise and to scale. knowledge of the engineering field; therefore, the conclusion of such a document must be easily understandable. In addition, the argument must be intelligible because serious Letter of transmittal consequences might follow otherwise. Some technical terms A letter of transmittal, directed to the client organization or will inevitably be included in the document, but the focus the executive in charge of a project, makes the delivery of a should be on presenting a persuasive argument to the read- technical engineering report official. In the case of the sub- ers. Information should be presented in such a way that the mission of a final report, it serves as a delivery note (Longo reader is able to form an opinion based on facts logically & Kmiec, 2017). A letter of transmittal must contain the fol- presented. lowing: A forensic report differentiates direct observation from • the title of the report; assumptions or third-party information and distinguishes • the project or reference number, if applicable; facts from professional opinion. It contains only those facts • an official statement of submission, including submis- that, from a professional point of view, support the defense sion date; put forth in the document (Marmo & Fiorentini, 2015). Mar- • a brief explanation regarding why the report was written mo and Fiorentini (2015) argue that users will benefit from (that is, who assigned it, when, and why); a forensic report only if it uses the correct terms and defini- • one to three sentences stating the main theme of the re- tions and aids understanding of the topic of contention. The port; use of jargon should be avoided as much as possible, but if • a brief note on any particular section of the report that technical terminology is necessary, then it should be defined may be of interest to the recipient; and or illustrated in simple terms. All information should be spe- • an indication of subsequent actions expected to be car- cific and accurate. If information can be better represented ried out by the recipient. visually, it is best to use illustrations. A common format used for a forensic report is as follows: Title Laboratory report Purpose A laboratory-based experiment requires a report to Background Information demonstrate that the engineer understands the proce- Description of the Case dure he or she has carried out (Budinski, 2001). The Findings and Observation laboratory report details the significance of the outcome 84 ALLS 10(4):80-87 of the experiment. Engineering laboratory reports have an stored in the logbook. In it, the engineer is free to use indus- established format: try terminology, which will be translated into simple terms in Headings Content more formal reports intended for non-technical readers. The Title Precisely reflects the focus of the laboratory format of an engineer’s logbook should ensure easy access to information in the future. The following percentages are Abstract Provides an overview of the report content suggested for an effective logbook entry: Aim Concisely states the objectives of the experiment Entry Percentage Procedure Describes the equipment and materials used in the Project learning and development 70 experiment as well as the procedures carried out Review of an ongoing or completed project 10 Results and Contains tables of raw data and detailed Discussion calculations; presents and interprets the results Meetings, lecture notes, and planning 20 Conclusion Summarizes findings and offers recommendations Email Non-report Writing Like most professionals, engineers must communicate via Engineers are required write a variety of documents other email, and the information conveyed in emails is shared than reports. These range from emails and logbook entries to among colleagues and beyond. To ensure that emails are memos. The types of non-report writing frequently done by read, engineers should implement the following recommen- engineers are addressed in this section. dations (Abed & Ibrahim, 2017): • Ensure that the subject line stands out; the subject line should clearly define the purpose of the email. Memorandum • Write the email to a person, that is, use simple lay terms Memorandums (memos) are being replaced by emails. How- to provide the reader with useful information and avoid ever, the style and tone of professional emails remain the the overuse of industry jargon. same as in a traditional memo. Memos differ from notes. As • Always include a request (that is, include information the ability to write an effective memo is a necessary skill in on the follow-up process the engineer expects the reader the industry, it is well worth taking the time to develop it. to carry out). A memo has a simple basic format: • Proofread the writing. Documents containing grammat- TO: ical errors are easy to misinterpret, and mistakes can FROM: lead to misinformation in addition to undermining the DATE: writer’s credibility. For these reasons, engineers should ABOUT: never write emails in a hurry. Although memos are written for circulation internal- Additional email-related ethics: ly within an organization, they should still be written with • It is courteous to send a copy of the email to anyone attention to detail (Mazumder, 2016). Longer memos may whose name appears in the body of the message. include a summary before the body of the main information. • Confidential documents must not be sent by email. The Engineers use reports and memos to communicate with both content of this may be leaked to unintended individuals. management and colleagues. • Email threads can get lengthy as replies pile up. It is better to start a new email thread than reply to an already lengthy one. Informal notes and engineering logbooks An engineering logbook is a professional reference for a Instructions for Teachers of Technical Writing project or several projects. McAlphine et al. (2006) argue that, although the information in a logbook is recorded for The first step in learning to write is reading. In order to write the engineer’s own purposes and is not reviewed by a supe- well, engineering students must have a clear idea of the style rior or client, it is still important to organize the information of writing required of them. Lecturers in ESP can assist stu- effectively because of its value. As a project progresses, an dents by bringing into the classroom real-life examples of engineer has to store information in the logbook informal- technical documents (reports, memos, work emails, and so ly. using industry buzzwords. The logbook, if kept properly, on), which can be read through with students and discussed. prepares the engineer to write a full-fledged report when the Additionally, engineering students, as a way of developing time comes. Industry standards dictate that each daily entry their writing skills, can write practice reports, memos, emails should begin on a new page. The engineer is expected not for work-related scenarios, and other technical documents. to delete erroneous entries but rather to mark a line through In teaching technical writing, the concept of brainstorm- them so that no information is lost. The outcomes of meeting should not be omitted. As technical writers, students ings, brainstormed ideas, graphics, formulas, and equations need to plan their write-ups in advance and flesh out their can all be entered into the logbook. As Cash et al. (2007) ideas before they begin writing. Brainstorming their ideas, report, a review of project performance adds reliable infor- in addition to reading other technical documents beforehand, mation that can come into use when the final report is being gives students the greatest chance of success. It is important drafted. Many technical write-ups depend on the information to encourage engineering students to develop the habit of The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers 85 reading, as they often struggle to express their ideas due to Kinds of Technical Documents Written by Engineers their lack of vocabulary. This can be a major setback for en- When asked about the kinds of writing engineers do at work, gineering students (Vesilind, 2007). respondents revealed that they write a fair number of report and non-report documents. Given the choice of selecting METHODOLOGY more than one option, respondents recorded the following frequencies for the types of writing they usually do at work: A questionnaire consisting of open-ended and closed-ended 40 out of 60 respondents (67%) reported that they frequent- questions was used as the data collection instrument. The ly write interim or progress reports; 30 (50%) reported that questionnaire was distributed among engineers practicing in they write final or recommendation reports. However, only Saudi Arabia in order to gather information related to tech- 10 respondents (16.7%) stated that they often write more nical writing. The study participants included 60 engineers focused reports, such as laboratory reports. Engineers also who were selected through a snowball sampling method. The write a fair number of non-report documents. Invited in this data collected were analyzed through descriptive statistics item to select more than one option, 30 (50%) of the engi- using SPSS v. 20. The responses of the participants formed neers disclosed that they enter a fair amount of information the basis for the qualitative analysis and provided useful in- in their logbooks; 30 (50%) said they write memos which sights that can be applied in teaching technical writing to are circulated among co-workers; 20 (33.3%) affirmed that engineering students. The questionnaire contained questions writing emails is a common task in an engineering career. about writing in the engineering field as it is perceived by Tables 2 and 3 below detail the kinds of writing done by practicing engineers. The questions inquired about the rele- engineers. vance of writing in the field of engineering, asking how frequently engineers are required to write reports and whether they feel their undergraduate education to be relevant to the Adequacy of an Engineering Degree in Preparing technical writing tasks they perform in their careers. Final- Students for Technical Writing ly, practicing engineers in Saudi Arabia were invited to give Answering the important question about whether their un- recommendations to current engineering students. dergraduate education had prepared them for writing in the engineering field Fig ( ure 1), 30 (50%) of the respondents FINDINGS believed that their background education in engineering had adequately prepared them for writing in the field of engineer- The data below presents statistics and useful insights re- ing (5 – extremely useful). Ten (16.67%) of the respondents garding the views of engineers on writing in the engineering believed that their background education in engineering field. The recommendations offered by practicing engineers are also included in detail because of their potential importance to budding engineers. Table 1. Importance of Writing in the Engineering Field (N=60) Response n (%) Importance of Technical Writing in the Engineering Field Not important 0 (0) The data relating to the importance of writing in the engi- Slightly important 0 (0) neering field demonstrates that engineers believe technical Moderately important 0 (0) writing to be an important component of their discipline (Table 1). The highest percentage of respondents (66.7%; n Important 20 (33.3) = 40) indicated that technical writing is “very important” in Very important 40 (66.7) the engineering field. A smaller percentage, 33.3% (n = 20), defined it as “important.” None of the respondents- select ed the “not important” or “slightly important” options. This Table 2. Report Writinga Done by Engineers confirms the importance of technical writing for engineers. Type of report n (%) Engineering students should take a cue from this data and Initial report 40 (66.67) attach more importance to technical writing (Vesilind, 2007). Final/Recommendation report 30 (50) The present globalized workplace creates a competitive sce- Interim/Progress report 20 (33.3) nario in which an enhanced focus on English communication Laboratory report 10 (16.7) is required in order for engineers to succeed. Dealing with numbers is an integral part of engineering, as is collating a. N=60; more than one answer was possible. technical documents, and it is common to come across engineering students who have good knowledge of these sub- Table 3. Non‑report Writinga Done by Engineers jects. However, many students require extra support when it Type of Writing n (%) comes to communicating their ideas. In the case of technical Emails 20 (33.3) documents, this support is especially important, since these documents require particular structures and adhere to spe- Memos 30 (50) cific rules. Table 1 present the statistics on the importance Logbook entries 30 (50) engineers attach to technical writing. a. N=60; more than one answer was possible 86 ALLS 10(4):80-87

• The students must be original with their ideas because it will propel their focus. • Engineers must be good writers. Possessing writing skills in the engineering field improves the chances of success in a global setting. • Writing in engineering is quite different from other types of writing. • Engineering write-ups have established guidelines that must be satisfied before they can be considered relevant. These responses are similar to those of the engineers in- terviewed by Bill Doe of Colorado University (Doe et al., Figure 1. Adequacy of an engineering degree in preparing 2016). Advising young engineers, Doe and his colleagues students for technical writing suggested developing a broad array of soft skills, particu- larly writing. English language communication, with an emphasis on writing, is a prerequisite in a multidisciplinary was “very useful.” Further, 10 (16.67%) believed that their field such as engineering. background education had prepared them only “moderately” well for writing in their engineering career. The remaining 10 (16.67%) believed that their background education had CONCLUSION been only slightly useful in terms of writing in their career. These numbers suggest that there is room for improvement Technical writing is a necessity in the engineering field, in the instruction of engineers in the skills of technical writ- as engineers need to convey technical ideas in a structured ing. Figure 1, below, shows perceptions among engineers of manner. This study presents basic and detailed information the adequacy of an engineering degree in preparing students on the structure and content of technical writing for en- for technical writing in the engineering field. gineers. The quantitative aspect of the study presents in- These results are similar to the findings of Devira formation on the types of documents written by practicing (2017) in a study, conducted in Adelaide, Australia, of engineers. Many engineers are expected to write reports, students’ expectations and perceptions pre- and post-com- which range from initial reports at the commencement of mencement of an engineering communication course. a project to final reports at its conclusion. Other writings According to Devira, students expected to learn “how to required of engineers include memos, emails, and logbook write a report effectively, use the correct articles and rel- entries. Collating the opinions of engineers reveals that evant vocabularies, and pick up information that we can many practicing engineers believe that writing cannot be use in relation to engineering issues” (p. 38). However, overemphasized in the engineering profession. Engineers upon completion of the course, they commented that “we believe technical writing skills to be very important to the don’t do this much, and I haven’t learned how to approach success of their career. Many engineers continually brush the technical terms, so maybe I will gain, but it’s not much up their skills in technical writing. The results of the ques- like I expected. It’s just how to write an essay, the struc- tionnaire given to engineers in the present study reveal that ture of an essay” (p. 39). Students’ expectations were high half of the respondents believe that their background ed- upon commencement of the engineering communication ucation adequately prepared them for writing in an engi- course. However, they did not feel that they had mastered neering career. Still, there are others who feel that although the desired skills upon the completion of the course. Engi- their background education in technical writing has been neering students should be taught technical writing skills useful, it could be further improved. Overall, practicing that are relevant to what will be expected of them at their engineers want budding engineers to dispel the idea that jobs (Devira, 2017). writing is not important in the engineering profession. It is common to come across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students who are advanced in Advice offered by Practicing Engineers to Budding their fields of study but could use extra support in the skills Engineers of written communication. Writing is the Achilles heel of Regarding of how they felt about the adequacy of their train- most engineers, and many good ideas never see the light ing, respondents in the study offered the following advice to of day because engineers are unable to communicate them. engineering students: For engineers to advance beyond crunching numbers, they • Writing is a key to becoming successful engineers. need to communicate effectively, including developing • They should dismiss the thought that engineers do proficiency in writing. The present paper proposes a help- not need much writing. ful and practical guideline for potential engineers, advising • Engineering students who write should keep it up; them to improve their language skills as regards writing writing often will help them overcome barriers to for specific purposes appropriate to their intended field, so writing, which is a requisite for the engineering that by mastering this form of communication they may profession. become successful engineers. The Engineers’ Guide to Technical Writing: Insights for Budding Engineers 87

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